16 students suddenly fall ill in classroom at Hatiya, 13 hospitalized
Photo: Agamir Somoy
At Hatiya of Noakhali, 16 students suddenly fell ill in their classroom. Later, 13 of them were taken to the Hatiya Upazila Health Complex and given primary treatment.
The incident occurred between 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM on Monday (September 7) at Tamruddhi Jorkhali High School in the upazila.
The students undergoing treatment at the hospital include Fatema Begum (12), Nipa Akter (12), Meherab Uddin (11), Farhana Akter (12), Jamila Begum (14), Suraiya Akter (13), and Parvin Akter (15). All of them reside in Tamruddhi Jorkhali village.
According to school and local sources, regular classes began at the school at 10:00 AM on Monday. About an hour later, four female students of class seven suddenly fell ill and lost consciousness. They were sent home and later recovered. Shortly afterward, 15 more students from classes six and seven, along with one from class ten, fell ill. Among them, 13 were admitted to the Hatiya Upazila Health Complex.
Jasim Uddin, the headmaster of Jorkhali High School, said, "A total of 13 students have been admitted to the hospital. They have been given saline. Many are now feeling well. They will be able to return home after the saline drips are finished. However, it is still not possible to say for certain what caused the students to suddenly fall ill."
Rasel Iqbal, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Hatiya, said, "Upon receiving the news, I visited the spot. After speaking with the students, parents, and teachers, it has been initially learned that the students may have fallen ill and lost consciousness due to a pungent or irritating odor in the classroom."
